Suturing means



Filed April 5', 1949 Inventor Joseph T; Carr B, QM W Patented Sept. 26,1950 UNITED STATES PA T OFFICE P 2,523,812 r i SUTURING MEANs."

Joseph T. Carr, Moselle, Miss.

Application April 5, 1949, Serial No. 85,609

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in surgicalappliances and the primary object of the present invention is to providea novel and improved means for drawing and holding wounds, cuts or thelike.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide asurgical appliance including a plurality of pins that are extendedthrough the skin adjacent a wound and a bendable or flexible elementjoining all of the pins and urging the edges of a cut or wound together.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a first aidsurgical appliance that is so designed as to permit the same to bequickly and readily applied by one hand of a casualty when assistance isnot available.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a suturingmeans that is simple and practical in use, strong and reliable whenapplied, small and compact in its structure, relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which thesame is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying'drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like Figure 4 is a sectional view of a woundandillustrating the manner in which a pin is disposed relative thereto.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral represents a portion of a body having a wound orcut I2.

l-Ieretofore many various methods and apparatus have been employed fordrawing and holding wounds, such as stitches, suture clamps, andadhesive strips secured to the skin adjacent the wound and joined bystring, stitching cord or the like. Although these methods aresatisfactory, frequently battlefield wounds must be treated by theperson wounded since assistance is not usually present. It is thereforethe principal feature of 1 Claim. (Cl. 12 8335) this invention toproduce a surgical appliance or suturing means that can be applied by awounded person in a convenient manner and in the minv imum time.

To accomplish the'above desired results, there is provided a pluralityof anchoring members or pins designated by the numeral l4. Pins Minclude eye terminals I6 and rounded or curved pointed end portions H3.

The pins M are constructed of any suitable material such as silver,copper, steel -or plastic and are preferably coated with a rustresistant lacquer in order to prevent rust from entering a wound toinfect the same.

In practical use of the present invention, a plurality of the pins 14are extended through the skin and transversely of the wound 12. The pinsM are spaced substantially parallel to each other, the ends of the pinare exposed and the eye ends [6 of the pins are staggered relative toeach other.

Figure 2 illustrates one method of securing the pins l4 together. Inthis figure, aflexible element or wire length 2!] is trained through theeye end It of all of the pins and extends under the pointed ends is ofthe pins, and its endsare twisted or tied together at 22 to preventsliding movement of the pins and to force the edges of the wound or cutl2 together.

Figure 3 illustrates another method for joining the pins I l. As shownin this figure, a flexible element or wire length 24 is trained firstthrough the eye portion 16 adjacent one side of th'ewound. The ends ofthe wire length 24 are then extended through the eye portions l6adjacent the other side of the wound.

One end of the wire length 24 is wrapped around the shank of a selectedpin, as at 26, and the ends of the wire length 24 are twisted or tiedtogether, as at 28, to prevent sliding movement of the pins and to drawand'hold the edges of the cut or wound together.

Obviously, otheroptional lacing methods for securing the pins togethercould be employed although those illustrated are known to function inthe desired manner and can be quickly and readily applied by one hand ofa casualty.

In order to prevent the pointed ends of the pins from engaging uponclothing or other such articles, an adhesive strip may be applied to theskin and will function as a means for shielding or guarding the woundagainst contact and will also restrict the entrance of dirt or othersuch foreign matter into the wound.

packaged form, consisting of a plurality of the pins l4 and suitablelengths of wire. In such a form, the same will be carried as a first aidkit with the pins arranged on the anchoring strip or cloth so that theuser can observe the correct method or manner for applying the pins tothe wound. Instructions will also be applied to the packet in order thatthe user may ascertain the spacing of the pins as well as the means forlacing the pins together.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of theconstruction, operation and advantages of the device will be quiteapparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description isaccordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A surgical aid comprising a strip, a plurality of spaced parallel pinscarried by said strip, each of said pins having an eye end and a pointedend, the eye ends of adjacent pins being staggered with respect to eachother, and a wire trained through the eye ends of all of said pins andembracing a selected one of the pins to indicate the correct method fordrawing and holding wounds.

JOSEPH T. CARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Minor and Operative Surgery Including Bandaging- Wharton, 1905, page227. (Copy in Division 55.)

Oeuvres Completes dAmbroise Par ed. of Malgaigne, Paris, 1840, page 85.(Copy in Division 55.)

